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Last Updated on September 6, 2019 by Work In My Pajamas
Is loneliness creeping into your freelancing work? Have you…well…started talking to yourself?
Freelancing is the ultimate job if you value freedom and flexibility. You love waking up because there’s no rush to get to work before your boss looks at the clock.
But within a few weeks, you find yourself in the supermarket at 2 pm just so you can talk to the cashier. You get back home and the sofa looks oh so tempting.
It might be time to look into coworking spaces. Beautiful open-plan offices are popping up everywhere, filled with creatives and entrepreneurs.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to shoot the breeze with fellow freelancers and not be horrified to find you haven’t left the house in days?
Let’s look at what coworking offices are and whether they could be your savior.
In This Post:
What Are Coworking Spaces?
Type in ‘coworking space near me’ and you’ll probably get lots of hits. There are around 60 million freelancers in the US alone, driving demand for shared workspaces.
In coworking offices, freelancers or small businesses rent desks in a shared office environment. Often geared towards creatives, coworking spaces are usually modern, bright, and a little hipster.
Would It Work For You?
To keep costs down, the coworking space business model favors open-plan. This is great if you love a busy atmosphere and chatting to your desk mates.
If you’re easily distracted though, or like to work in silence, you might struggle. From coffee cups clinking to other people’s conversations, focusing in a shared office environment can be tough.
Think about the space in which you work best. Do you take a lot of private phone calls? Do you hate being interrupted? These can make or break your coworking dreams.
If you like to visualize your options, visit here to see what different coworking spaces are like inside.
Benefits of Coworking Offices
There are some great benefits to considering work space for rent.
- Socializing – Quick chat by the coffee machine? Running ideas past someone else? Networking with other freelancers? Coworking spaces are great for social freelancers.
- Time management – At home, it’s hard to know when to switch off. With regular office hours (and the freedom to come and go), you can leave your work at the door come 5 pm.
- Collaboration – You never know who’ll you meet. It might be someone you can collaborate with or learn from.
- Facilities – Printers, scanners, WiFi, meeting rooms, and coffee machines are great bonuses.
The Downsides of Coworking
Coworking isn’t all sunshine and rainbows though.
- Cost – These spaces can be a business expense that puts too much pressure on you.
- Distraction – If you’re easily distracted or sit next to someone who interrupts you, your work could suffer.
- Privacy – If you work on confidential matters or take private phone calls, it could be a problem.
Why Not Try It Out?
The best way to work out if coworking spaces are for you is to try them out. Search ‘shared workspace near me’ and see if your local spaces offer free one-day trials.
With rolling monthly contracts, coworking offices are flexible options to get you out of the lonely freelancer abyss. Why not try it out and see how you find coworking?
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